Left 4 Dead 3: The Other Side
by LinkLord
Summary: In this tale, you'll find more than just stories of survival. You'll find out what is behind the motives of the infected, how they interact with each other. Have a look, won't you? -- Dr. Gerald Cobalt
1. Trial and Error

**I finally decided to make a Left 4 Dead fanfic. I've made my own special infected, and this is told from the perspective of different infected individuals, who have made their own language to communicate with each other. I own nothing but the new special infected.**

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--HUNTER CHRONICLE 1 (James)--

James leaped to the next rooftop, eyeing the three humans below. One of them kept muttering 'Hunter, Hunter!' and the one in front would occasionally say 'There's a Jockey somewhere around here'. Hearing that message repeated, he glanced to the Jockey which was bouncing giddily towards the group. His idiotic giggling would alert everyone, even James' lesser brothers and sisters, and there would be nothing left for the Hunter! James made a snap decision; he leapt at the Jockey, tackling it, and they rolled behind a dumpster as a nasty-looking brown human whirled, pointing his long gun around. "What is is, Sebastian?" whispered a female. The man eyed the dumpster where James and the Jockey hid, then he shook his head. "It's nothing."

"_Moron! You could've alerted our brothers and sisters!_" James snarled. "_Damn it, I'm hungry, and I won't let you spoil my meal!_" "_But Hunter, is so fun to ride humans!_" the Jockey replied enthusiastically, bouncing up and down. "_They scream and run and give nice ride!_" "_AND THEN THEY FUCKING SHOOT YOU!_" James tried not to yell; if he yelled, he'd growl, and if he growled, the humans would know where they were. Then James heard something that he really didn't want to. "BOOMER!" "_Goddamn..._" he muttered even as he heard the retching sound which meant that his brother had sicked upon a human. There was a collective cry, then a crowd of common infected rushed past. "_Now I play!_" the Jockey cried, excited, and he leapt from the dumpster. It was not three seconds after he raced around the corner that Sebastian yelled, "Jockey, Jockey!"

Several rapid gunshots, and the Jockey fell dead. James nearly slapped himself. "_Now they're ruined._" he groaned as he heard the screams which meant the humans had been overtaken. He whimpered, holding his rumbling stomach tightly. Then he climbed the side of the nearby building slowly, cringing at the lurch which overtook his gut. "_What I wouldn't give for just an arm, or a foot..._"

"_What __**exactly**__ would you give, Hunter?_" cooed a ragged voice. James sighed and finished hauling himself up; in front of him was a Smoker, and it was holding a large chunk of meat in its hand. He knew this Smoker; it was Julio, who always loved to tease James with strips of meat. Especially after a failed hunting attempt. "_Give it to me, Julio, and I won't rip out your eyes._" James snarled. Julio laughed, then walked to the edge of the roof and held the meat over the edge. He then doubled over into a massive hacking fit; this drew the attention of James' brothers and sisters below. They all cried out and reached up, trying to retrieve the meat. Julio smiled; a gruesome sight, considering half of his face was covered with giant warts and his teeth were char black. Not to mention the tongue which kept hanging out of his mouth. "_I'll drop it, James, and then who'll feed you?_" "_I'll manage, considering you look good enough to eat!_"

This was a complete and utter lie. James wouldn't touch Julio's filthy carcass if it was sprinkled with salt and blood. But he had to do something. She'd be so hungry... "_Hand it over, Julio! You know that I'm not the only one who needs feeding!_" "_Well then, you won't mind fighting for it._" the Smoker mused, tossing the meat to the crowd below. James' mind locked; he dove for the meat, grabbing it in his hands, and plummeted headfirst into the crowd of commons. James held the meat tight to his chest as he collided headfirst with a common. It yelped and staggered back as the others began to chant.

"_Meat! Meat! So juicy and sweet! Meat! Meat! Let us eat!_"

"_Get your own damn meat!_" James snarled, backing slowly away from his lesser brothers. He did a quick calculation; mindless as his brothers and sisters were, he could not take them on alone. "_Meat! Meat! So juicy and sweet!_" "_Get back!_" James cried, backing into a wall as the crowd advanced. There was no way in hell he'd give up the strip of meat. "_Meat! Meat! Let us eat!_"

Then came a sound that both delighted and frightened James; the sound of a gunshot. A massive explosion erupted in front of him, sending his infected brethren flying and tearing their limbs to shreds. "Damn, I missed the Hunter!" a voice declared. There was the sound of something sliding on metal, and James glanced to where the explosive bullet had come. A tall man in a black suit was holding a gun with a large barrel, pointing it at James.

"Alright, just be a good little infected and don't move." he muttered. James racked his brain for the name of the weapon. It wasn't a 'shotgun' or an 'AK', but he'd seen it before. Then it hit him, just about the same time that the man's finger hit the trigger. James leaped to the side as the oval-shaped object was propelled at him. An explosion erupted from the point of impact, throwing James into a dumpster. A grenade launcher!

"Dammit, hold still!" the man growled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another grenade. In this instance, James licked his lips and growled with anticipation. "_She certainly won't go hungry if I bring __**you**__, too._" he whispered. Then he placed the meat in the front pocket of his hoodie and leaped from the dumpster, baring his fangs and giving a bloodcurdling cry. The hunt was on!

--SMOKER CHRONICLE 1 (Matthew)--

He hid behind a pillar, breathing heavily as the survivors searched the room for him. "_Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_" Matthew wheezed. "_BRILLIANT idea, go into the bloody crowded MALL! These rooms aren't big enough to hide myself!_" Matthew hated being a Smoker. If only he'd gotten infected and turned into a Charger, or a Tank. THEY could do some serious damage. "I know you're there." said a voice right behind him, and a survivor leaped in front of Matthew. The Smoker flinched. "GOTCHA!" he cried in triumph.

"Mitchell, watch out!" an African-American survivor shouted. The one threatening Matthew turned and got hit flat-out by a Charger. "_Thanks!_" Matthew exclaimed. The Charger slammed Mitchell into a wall, raised him, up, and slammed him into the tiles so hard that they shattered. The survivor's hand twitched, then went limp. Matthew glanced around the corner and saw the three survivors moving in. One had a really long gun, the other had two small guns. The third one had some sort of wooden paddle.

Matthew knew that as strong as the Charger was, it couldn't take on the three survivors alone. So he waited for one to fall behind. Then he opened his mouth...and began to cough. The trailing survivor saw him. "The Smoker!" she yelled, charging at him with her paddle. Matthew backed up, then his coughing fit stopped. He lashed out his tongue and it wrapped around the girl's waist, curling up to her mouth and stopping her from screaming. "MMMMFFFF!!" she cried, beating Matthew's tongue with her paddle.

He drew her closer and yanked the wooden weapon from her hands, then began to swipe at her. His heavy blows quickly reduced her to feeble resistance, and he looked up from her panting form to see the Charger punch the African-American survivor. The man went down and the Charger grabbed his leg, then flung him across the room. The immune crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, dead. The final survivor whimpered, then turned and ran, the Charger close behind.

Matthew turned his attention back to the female survivor. Her breathing was ragged, and she wasn't even struggling anymore. She'd placed the paddle aside and had her hands clasped in front of her. Matthew was confused; he wasn't used to survivors acting like this. He unwrapped his tongue and let the girl fall to the floor. She began to cough and choke, then glared up at him. "Fucking infected piece of shit!" she growled, grabbing her paddle and starting to stand. Matthew struck her forehead with his palm and sent her sprawling backward. He made his famous cry and the human's expression changed from angry to scared.

"If you're gonna kill me, then do it already!" she sobbed. "_Yes, Matthew, what are you waiting for?_" a nearby voice asked sweetly. Well, to the human it was nothing but a strange purr. To Matthew, it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. He turned and saw a Haunter, one of the newer 'greater infected'. They were girls in white dresses, stained with blood, and had long silver hair that reached their waists. Matthew had heard that Haunters moved without a sound, but this…this was incredible. He'd had no idea she was there.

"_Kill her, Matthew._" The Haunter purred, wrapping her arms around Matthew's neck. The Smoker knew this was a dangerous position to be in; Haunters were almost as volatile as Sobbers, and they put on a false sweet front…unless you were bleeding. Matthew had seen Haunters rip flesh and bone apart like paper with their hands at the sight of blood. Blood was to Haunter as sound is to Sobber. "_I…maybe you should._" He stammered, trying to back away from the Haunter. There was a dangerous gleam in her eye.

"_Oh, but I don't want to. I want you to do it._" Her voice was less sweet now, and as sharp as a blade. If Matthew didn't kill this immune, the Haunter would kill _him. _"_O-okay…_" he whimpered, turning back to the girl. Tears were flowing from her eyes. It hit Matthew that she couldn't be older than eleven, and here he was, about to kill her!

"_I…I can't hurt a child, survivor or not._" He decided. The Haunter 'hmphed' and walked over to the girl, who had her hands clasped in front of her again. In one fluid movement, the Haunter had reached down, grabbed the girl by the hair, and ripped her head off. The body fell to the floor and blood spurted in every direction. The Haunter held the head in front of Matthew. "_THIS is FOOD, Matthew!_" she growled, shaking it. Tears flew with the action. "_Don't let yourself get sympathetic for our meals, or you'll be shot down faster than our lesser brothers and sisters._" With that, the Haunter turned and began to tear up the body. Matthew ran from her, afraid for the remaining survivor. If the Haunter found him, he wouldn't stand a chance.

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**Read and review, please.**


	2. Hunters and Witches

**Chapter two of my L4D fanfiction. I own nothing but the new special infected.**

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--SMOKER CHRONICLE 2 (Matthew)--

A quick look around told Matthew that he was alone in the alley. He slumped down, sighed, and looked at his hands. They were grey, and his left arm was covered in huge warts. Not a very attractive profile. "_Dammit, and I never smoked a day in my life._" he muttered, then exploded into a hacking fit. He willed it to subside, but still had to wait five minutes for the coughs to die down. He looked up and saw a small girl in front of him, her head tilted to the side. "...hi." she said shyly. Matthew raised an eyebrow.

The Smoker sized up the girl; if he had to guess, he'd say that she was around four. She was swinging her arms side to side, her dirty shirt and pants ruffling slightly in the wind. A little smile was on her face. Where the hell were her parents? "Mommy and daddy ran." she whispered.

Oh. That explained it.

This was dangerous. Being in the company of an immune for too long--any immune--would cause their scent to rub off on you. Matthew's lesser brethren, in a frenzy, wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Smoker and their next meal. Matthew stood, towering over the girl. She stopped smiling, but didn't react further. "_Look, kid,_" Matthew began, then realized that to the girl, he was just wheezing. An explination of why he had to leave would be impossible, and he couldn't kill her. As he'd explained to the Haunter earlier, he didn't harm children.

"Help me look for them!" the immune child pleaded, her lip quivering. The Smoker froze in his tracks; if the girl started crying, it would alert his brothers and sisters. If that didn't happen, it was sure to attract a sharp-eared Hunter. Not a pleasant way to die. He shook his head furiously, putting a hand on her shoulder and raising a finger to his puffed lips. She looked down, then threw her arms around Matthew's neck. Stunned, he jerked upright again. A little giggle escaped the immune as she was swung up. "Please, help me!" she asked.

Matthew sighed. He didn't know why this girl didn't realize that infected were dangerous. If she'd tried this on any other Smoker, he'd be willing to bet his worthless life that the girl wouldn't have lasted five seconds. Finally, he sighed, repositioned the immune so she was piggybacking, and began to walk forward. "My name's Lilac." she said as Matthew walked. "My mommy said it was a pretty name, and that's why it's my name, 'cause I'm pretty."

"_Loudmouthed, too._" the Smoker muttered. He willed Lilac to stop chattering in his ear, but to no avail; after ten minutes of worthless facts about her life up until three days ago, Matthew considered looking for her off button. If such a button didn't exist, there was a trash can with her name on it. "Do you have a name, Mr. Ugly?" Lilac asked innocently, laughing and leaning back. The latter action nearly choked Matthew. "Okay, Cough!" the immune declared. "Your name is Cough!"

"_...wonderful._" The Smoker growled, sticking his tongue out at the thought of being called 'Cough' until he got rid of the girl. Bad move; his tongue was so long that it grazed the pavement. A half-eaten donut that must've been a year old came into contact with his tongue, and he shuddered before retracting the tongue. "Why did you lick the street? Do you eat dirty stuff?" Lilac continued to chatter on. And on. And on. And on.

Matthew was about to dump her on the street when a noise came off from his left. He froze, looking cautiously in that direction; a door was ajar, leading into an inky-black room. The Smoker knew that sound all too well. When you had been an infected for a month, like he had, you pretty much knew the calls of your fellow infected. That was, without a doubt, a Bouncer. "_Shit,_" he muttered as he unlatched Lilac from his neck and moved her behind him. "_Shit, shit, shit!_"

Then the Bouncer came out of the room. It was muscular, but not overly so like a Tank or Charger. Its fists, however, were giant; at least the size of Lilac. It had blood coming from the corners of its mouth, and its ripped shirt showed more blood on its chest. The Bouncer yelled again, raising its fists. "_OUT OF MY WAY._" it boomed. "_No! Find another immune!_" Matthew yelled back, fighting the urge to cough. He could't take out a Bouncer, no way in hell. But he had to try.

"_That girl is my dinner. I haven't eaten in a week, thanks to all of these Hunters around. Move, or I will MAKE you move._" the Bouncer snarled, raising a fist. The Smoker then did the only thing he could do; he lashed out his tongue and wrapped it around the Bouncer's wrist. The other infected was stunned at this display, giving Matthew enough time to retract his tongue--while still holding onto the Bouncer. The lumbering infected faceplanted on the pavement, and Matthew released his hold on it. Then he grabbed Lilac's arm and began to sprint down the alley, pulling her onto his back as he did.

"Cough, that man was scary!" she whimpered, burying her face into his warty neck. Matthew could not understand how the child found his warts cuddle-worthy. But he patted her hand reassuringly and looked around for an escape route. He found it; a fire escape! But it was too high for him to reach, and he could already hear the Bouncer yelling as it got to its feet. "I'm scared!" Lilac whined, tears beginning to creep down her cheeks. If she evolved into full-blown sobbing, Matthew was TOTALLY screwed.

He motioned for her to be quiet, then he looked around frantically. A trash can! He picked up the metal container, heaving it to the fire escape, and jumped onto it. Then he set Lilac on the fire escape, beginning to climb up, when she screamed. It was at that moment that the Smoker felt a tug on his arm. With a yell of pain he was flung back, slamming into the wall and then sliding to the floor. He blinked dizzily, seeing the Bouncer roaring at Lilac to get down. Then he stuck his tongue out again, this time causing it to whip around the other infected's ankle, and slammed him into the ground again.

"_You have ruined my meal, Smoker._" the Bouncer rumbled, heaving himself back up. "_I hope you are prepared to replace it._"

--HUNTER CHRONICLE 1 (Antonio)--

With a final strike to the head, the immune was dead. Antonio smirked and gouged out part of the immune's body, oblivious to his human partner who was being bashed against the wall by a Charger. The Hunter savored the sweet taste of meat, still bloody and warm. He was as close to Heaven as an infected could be. He then dug deeper into the man's chest, ripping out a lung and stuffing it into his eager mouth. Licking his lips, the Hunter decided that he was done. Let his brothers and sisters have the remains.

"_Another successful hunt._" Antonio smiled, his teeth stained red. He leaped towards a building wall, colliding and quickly scaling the structure. From there he stood stock still, listening intently for the sounds of more possible survivors. Instead, he heard a distant Tank. That was good and bad. Good because Tanks had a habit of finding survivors. Bad because if Antonio got in the way of a Tank, it would plow over him. "_Let's play this game of chance._" he said quietly to himself, leaping to the next building as the sounds of screaming survivors reached his ears.

A few minutes of pouncing and he found his goal; in the middle of the street were six survivors, quite a rare occurance. On the other side, a Tank was lifting a car. "Shoot that motherfucker!" one of the immune yelled, firing an AK. The Tank roared, hurling the car with a grunt. The immune who had spoken shouted in surprise, then got hit in the head by the vehicle. Antonio heard the man's neck snap and he fell to the ground, the AK firing wildly. "Shit no, Jason!" another survivor cried out. "_Damn, Tanks are so mindless._" Antonio chuckled, leaping at the rear survivor. Poor guy never saw it coming; the Hunter had him pinned to the ground and suffocating within seconds. "_Go to sleep, my dinner, and I promise I'll make it quick._" Antonio hissed, squeezing the man's neck.

Then came something that Antonio didn't expect. The man's hand shot into his pocket and drew something shiny and sharp. The Hunter's bloodshot eyes widened; a pocketknife! He leaped off of the man as he swiped at the Hunter, grazing his hoodie and drawing blood from his arm. "_My jacket!_" Antonio howled. "_These aren't easy to find, you know!_" But all the man heard was a Hunter growling threateningly. He coughed, grabbed his shotgun, and yelled, "Hunter! Lucy, help!"

A pretty blonde survivor turned from the Tank, who had taken out another survivor via flying dumpster, then narrowed her eyes and held up a pistol. "_Hell no, lady!_" the Hunter hissed, leaping aside as she fired. "Yaaaaaaaagh!" shouted the man Antonio had choked, letting loose with his shotgun. Several bullets entered Antonio's leg, and he fell to the ground, gritting his sharp teeth against the pain. "_Greh, BASTARD!_" he snarled, jumping back to his feet. The leg was unsteady, but not unuseable. Another shot from the pistol threw Antonio's shoulder back, and he hissed before leaping at the man.

The immune, in response, held up his shotgun and thwacked Antonio over the head. The Hunter fell to the street again, dazed, and Lucy walked up, grimacing and holding her pistol. "This is for my brother." she whispered, fingering the trigger. "_Do your worst, human filth._" Antonio growled, struggling to stand. He was dimly aware of the Tank roaring in agony, and an immune shouting "Yeah! Suck on it, bitch!"

A third immune came into the Hunter's line of vision. He had a huge gash in his shoulder which was seeping blood, and a bloody axe in his hands. "Finish it, Lucy." he murmured. Lucy's hands were shaking as she held the pistol. "_What's wrong, afraid to finish me? You were so cocky a few seconds ago._" Antonio growled. "Hear that? The Hunter's taunting you." said the bloody immune. "Just shut up, David! This isn't easy for her!" came the voice of the human who Antonio had choked. He knew there was another one somewhere around the gathering crowd.

"Fred, this is the kind of thing that gets you killed." David snapped. "We need to kill these things, and kill them quick! No ifs, ands or buts about it!" "Are you going to take the kill away from her?" Fred questioned. Then came the fourth immune. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit with a toolbelt and a nametag that read 'Teddy Hookbrusher'. What a name. "Look, it's pitiful. Can't even sit up." Teddy commented. He walked to the opposite side of Antonio and placed his foot on the Hunter's neck, then pressed down. The infected's arms gave way and he faceplanted, tasting blood. A hiss was met with more pressure. "Take it out, Lucy. Your brother would want you to." Teddy said softly. David 'hmph'ed and leaned against a nearby car. The same one, in fact, that killed Josh.

Then Lucy froze. After a moment, Teddy's foot lightened enough for Antonio to twist his head. Lucy, David and Fred were all looking behind Teddy. "Shit, hide your wounds, David!" Fred whispered fiercely. David immediately crossed his arm over the gash in his shoulder, wincing as he did so. Teddy then turned and breathed heavily. His foot retracted and Antonio struggled onto his arms and legs. He was back in the position of a true Hunter. Then he saw what they were looking at.

A Haunter was walking slowly down the street, her eyes gleaming and her mouth curved into a slight smile. Her bare feet padded softly against the gravel road, and she pushed Teddy aside before throwing her arms around David. "_Handsome, handsome man._" she purred. That's exactly what David heard; a pur. "Guys, please shoot this thing." he whispered frantically. One of the Haunter's eyes twitched, but her smile didn't fade. "_Uncurl your arms, for me._" she whispered lovingly, one hand grasping David's protecting wrist and tugging on it. David's gaze began to fade into a trancelike mask. "David, don't!" Fred began. Then Antonio saw his chance.

He lashed out at Teddy, slicing into his leg. He then leaped at Lucy, knocking her over and causing her to bang her head on the car. A crack resounded around as her skull split, and the pistol dropped from her hand. Teddy cried out in pain and clutched his leg, falling to the floor and grunting from the impact. Then the Haunter whirled, her eyes fixed on Teddy. Her pupils shrank.

"_Time to go._" Antonio decided, leaping towards a building as a bloodchilling shriek exploded from the Haunter. Her mouth opened too wide to be humanly possible, revealing two sets of razor-sharp teeth, and her pupils became inexistant, lost in her red irises. Then a rush of movement which startled Teddy. A single scream which was cut off without warning. Lucy began to sob as she watched Teddy's face flung from his body, followed by his hand, then a huge chunk of flesh, then...his stomach. The Haunter licked her fingers, then whirled with a scream to face David. "Hell no, you're not fucking with me!" he roared, charging forward with his axe. He swung it downard, but the Haunter was too fast. She grabbed the handle of the axe, ripped it from David's hands, then planted her palm into his chest.

And pushed.

There was a gurgling sound, then the Haunter's hand ripped through the back of David's bloody shirt. It was glistening and red. And it was holding David's heart. The immune gagged, then shot a glance at Antonio, who was on a nearby balcony. He lifted his arm, pointed at the Hunter, then a wave of blood gushed from his mouth. He moved no more.

The Haunter pushed him away, breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Fred began to run. "_Hell no!_" Antonio snapped, leaping at the immune with a cry. He collided with the man's shoulders and knocked him to the ground, then grabbed the back of his head and pulled. A snap signified the breaking of his neck. "_You lose._" muttered Antonio, releasing the body and standing. Then he turned and faced the Haunter. His eyes narrowed.

"_You disgusting vermin._" the Haunter growled. "_Better vermin than crazed BITCH._" Antonio shot back.

"_Careless pouncer!_"

"_Barbaric slasher!_"

"_Idiotic predator!_"

"_Nasty succubus!_"

The two faced off, both frowning. Then the corner of Antonio's mouth twitched. The Haunter's gaze became less determined. Then the Hunter burst into laughter, the horrific sound echoing around the street. The other infected also began to laugh, but hers was pleasant and soft. "_Great to see you, Juniper._" Antonio declared, walking forward and laying on the only part of the girl's body that wasn't smeared with blood; her shoulders. Juniper smiled. "_As it is to see you, Antonio._" she replied. Antonio nodded towards the body of the Tank, lying in the middle of the street. Which was, by the way, cracked.

"_Mindless brutes._" Juniper muttered as if she had read Antonio's thoughts. "_They're almost as bad as Jockeys._" "_NOTHING is as bad as Jockeys._" the Hunter replied. "_So what've you been up to?_" he asked. Juniper shrugged. "_I payed a visit to the mall, met a Smoker. What a complete IDIOT. He refused to kill an immune JUST because she was a child._" the Haunter answered. Antonio smirked; a Smoker who didn't want to kill was like a Hunter who didn't want to hunt, or a Sobber who was as cheerful as a puppy. Then he remembered something. He walked over to Lucy, who was whimpering and holding her head. She saw Antonio, but instead of rage, he saw resignation. "You bastards killed my brother." she choked out. "The only thing I had left in this world. Now...you've killed me too."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're happy." the immune spit, then she sighed. And slumped. Antonio had seen enough dead bodies to know how to recognize one. He turned back to Juniper, pointing to Lucy's body. "_Are you going to eat that?_" he asked.

--HUNTER CHRONICLE 2 (James)--

A final pounce brought him to the warehouse. Crawling towards the door, he glanced around for any commons who might want a piece of his dinner. It had been a pain in the ass to drag the immune's body all the way from the alley, but neccessary. The tiny meat that Julio had 'given' James wouldn't feed both the Hunter and his charge. A final look around, and the infected pushed the doors open.

He was met by a thundering creak and a crash; the door had knocked into a rack of equipment, spilling it onto the floor. He hurried in and shut the door behind him, then let go of the body and grabbed the bolt, swinging it into position. It would take three Chargers slamming the door at once to get it open now. And it was a real help that the humans had boarded up the windows, too. "_Katrina?_" he whispered, heaving the human body up onto his shoulders. It was heavy! "_It's me, James._" he continued, walking further into the warehouse. Where was she hiding?

He spotted a stairway leading up to the catwalk above. He trudged over, climbing the stairs and looking around. A door was ahead, and it was slightly open. "_Katrina?_" he called cautiously, approaching the door. He let the body fall to the floor, preparing to open the door. When the immune's body hit the metal catwalk, it clanged loudly. James flinched.

There was a scream from within the doorway, and moments later a grey blur charged out in a flurry of flailing limbs. James leaped backwards out of the way of the half-foot claws which extended from the infected's fingertips. Then, as it drew near, the Hunter caught it by the wrists and forced its arms apart, then pushed it to the ground. It was a girl, no older than seven, with long grey hair and greyish skin. Her red eyes were overflowing with tears as she struggled, and her fanged mouth was open and howling. James closed his eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After a few minutes, the girl calmed down. Katrina was a unique Sobber; she was infected as a child, and couldn't fend for herself. As her sobbing quieted, James thought back to when he'd found her.

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"_Goddamn rain!_" James growled, pouncing to another rooftop. His hoodie was soaked, and he couldn't see because the material was weighed by the water, hanging into his eyes. Not only that, but the downpour was washing away any scent held by survivors. Not a good day to be a Hunter. An even worse day to be a Hunter who hadn't eaten in days. All the good immunes lately had been slaughtered by either veteran Hunters, like Bryce or Felix, or had been ruined by commons.

Then James saw something unusual. A house. Well, the house in itself wasn't that unusual. But there was a light on inside the house, and something was moving inside. Thrilled, James leaped for the house and slammed the door with his fist. There was a pause inside, a slight grunt, then rapid footsteps. James leaped back as the door burst open, revealing a bearded man with a shotgun. He fired ferociously at James, who ducked behind a car.

"Come to hurt my daughter more, have you?!" he roared, not ceasing in the onslaught. "I hear what you say about her! Witch, you say, a witch! She's not a fucking witch! She's my daughter and I love her!" this statement was punctuated by another gunshot. James froze. Where had he heard the name 'Witch' before? Then it came back to him. Immunes called Sobbers 'Witches'. What an idiotic name.

"Come and get her, if you've got the balls!" the immune shouted again, then fell silent. The Hunter peeked over the top of the car to see he was leaning on the door frame, panting heavily. There was a hole in his leg, and part of his shirt had been ripped to shreds. Upon sight of James, he sighed. "Now her own kind is after her?" he asked weakly, then he slapped himself and shook his head. "No, she's not like you! She's still my daughter!"

James leaped from the safety of the car, landing in front of the man. He regarded the infected coldly. The Hunter then motioned inside. There was silence. "If you try to take her, I'll kill you." the immune said finally, entering the house. James crawled in after him, looking around. Huge gashes lined the walls, and chunks were missing. The remains of a dining room table lay in tatters on the kitchen floor. The man walked briskly to a hallway, then stopped at a door. He breathed deeply. James followed, and his ears could pick up gentle sobbing behind the doorway.

"Don't scare her, she's just a child." he said softly, carefully turning the handle and opening the door. James glanced inside. Huddled in the corner was a little girl. She wore, as far as he could tell, nothing but a shirt and her underwear. She was on her knees, hands on the walls, and weeping openly. The Hunter cautiously entered the room, and she gasped, then turned. Her eyes were glowing in the dark room, and they had a frightening gleam to them.

"Back up!" the man warned. There was no time to back up, as the girl had turned and was now sprinting at James. He realized that the man was correct; she really was a Witch. The deadly long claws proved that. He flipped onto his back, then as the girl reached him, he planted his foot on her chest. This surprised the little Witch, and James vaulted her over his head.

Right into the man.

He screamed in agony and fell as his daughter began to tear at his body, her howls of torment seizing up James' mind. The Hunter rolled back onto his hands and feet, then pounced the girl. He grabbed her by her flailing wrists and held them behind her back, but she pulled. Her strength was unbelievable! The man gasped and wheezed, blood trickling from his mouth. He looked at James. "P...protect her..." he requested softly. "P...protect my daughter...and tell her...I loved her."

Then he looked at the Witch, who was still trying to escape James' grasp. "Katrina, I know you can't understand me now. No matter what happens, you will always be my little girl. And I will always love you." then his eyes closed. There was silence except for Katrina's labored breathing and the occasional scream, then James made a decision. In one fluid movement he moved the Witch under his arm. pinning her arms against her body.

Katrina gave a startled gasp, then James stood up--rare for a Hunter--and ran to the door. He emerged into the rain, feet striking the wet ground noisily, and ran further up the street. He couldn't pounce with the girl like this. James ran until he couldn't run anymore. Then he huddled under a tree and pressed the girl to his chest, arms locked firmly in front of her.

After a few minutes, the Sobber no longer struggled. She blinked and was silent, then she looked up at him and whimpered. "_Who are you?_" she asked quietly. James could _feel_ the fear in her voice. "_Where's my daddy?_"

"_Your father is no longer with us._" James replied calmly. Katrina stiffened as if he'd slapped her. "_He asked me to take care of you._" "_D-did I hurt daddy again?_" the Sobber cried, struggling against the Hunter's grip. No dice; he held her tight. "_I'm afraid you did. But he asked me to tell you that he always loved you, no matter what you looked like._" he replied.

The two shared a silence that lasted for what seemed like forever. By the time James ended it, the sun was shining overhead. "_My name is James._" he said. "_I am called a Hunter. Your name is Katrina?_" she nodded. "_Then you're called by two names. A Sobber, and a Witch._"

"_What does that mean?_" Katrina wondered aloud. "_If you get scared, you might attack anyone around you._" James replied. Another silence. James felt that it was safe to let Katrina go. She immediately whirled and threw her arms around the Hunter's neck. "_James? Will you always take care of me?_" she whispered. James didn't answer. "_J-James?_" the young Witch asked again, tears welling in her eyes again. James smiled.

"_'Course I will._"

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**There's chapter two. Read and review, please.**


	3. Don't Leave Yet

**The next chapter of my L4D fanfiction. I own nothing but the new special infected.**

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-SMOKER CHRONICLE 1 (Julio)-

Julio kept his eye on the vested survivor at the back of the group. "C'mon, wussy! Come out!" the man called. "Francis, keep your mouth shut!" came the old man with the green jacket. Francis 'hmphed' and kept walking. "_There'd better not be a Boomer somewhere, I rarely get such a big catch._" the Smoker wheezed. He slid from the rooftop to the street and hid behind an abandoned car. The immunes were very close to a safe house, and if they reached it, it was all over. Thankfully, he'd spotted a Screamer earlier. If the survivors got any closer, he could just slap the thing on the back. Instant horde, the ultimate impediment.

As the group entered an alley, Julio climbed a pipe to the top of a building. The green-jacket held up a hand. "Hold up!" he said, standing over a puddle of boomer bile. Julio facepalmed. Immunes could be so stupid sometimes. As green-jacket bent down to scoop it up, the Smoker imagined a crowd of Commons taking his meal. But against four survivors at once, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Julio tuned out their conversation and looked for the proper time to snatch an arm. Then he heard the sound of something wet swinging through the air, and he turned to see a Lasher. "_Oh, for the love of..."_ the Smoker coughed. "_Get back! They're mine!" _The Lasher shook its head. _"Thash what you think, Shmoker." _it replied, hindered by its long tongue. Lashers were basically wannabe Smokers, with no arms, no warts, but an imitation long tongue. They didn't even constrict survivors, they just lashed their tongues like a whip.

_"I'll tear your brain out if you take my kill!" _Julio wheezed. The Lasher snorted and took a step forward. "_Would you like to try, Shmoker? I think I'd like to shee that."_ it laughed. The Smoker barreled forward, ramming his shoulder into the Lasher's stomach. The taller infected widened its eyes as they both flew over the edge of the building. The Lasher landed on its knees, then faceplanted. Julio's back hit a dumpster and knocked the wind out of him. Since he was a Smoker, and thus didn't have any wind to begin with, he was fairly certain that the impact tore one of his lungs open.

_"Fucking hell!" _Julio gasped, struggling to his feet. Fire exploded across his leg as the Lasher struck him with its tongue, and he fell again. _"God DAMN!" _he roared, amazed that a cough didn't interrupt him. As the Lasher approached, the Smoker readied his own tongue. _"Edward ish my name. Remember it in the afterlife, would you?"_ Edward asked, drawing back his tongue. _"Not today!" _the Smoker shot back, his tongue zipping forward and wrapping around the Lasher's neck. The long muscle continued to coil down to the offending infected's legs, binding him entirely.

_"I am Julio, and you'd do well to remember that!"_ Julio snapped, approaching the Lasher. He raised a claw. _"Die, bitch!" _he coughed, lashing it down. Blood flew. The Lasher was dead.

Julio uncoiled his tongue, then he heard the Screamer do its thing. _"Fuck no!" _he cried, racing to the building again. "Shit! SHIT! SHIT! THEY'RE COMING!" came a yell from the alley as Julio reached the top. The Smoker vaulted over the top directly onto a fire escape. "Stick together!" Francis shouted. The Smoker took aim and launched his tongue at green-jacket. _Got him! _the infected thought. Then his spirits fell as Francis turned. Their eyes met, Francis raised his shotgun...and the world went dark.

-SCREAMER CHRONICLE 1 (Bevis)-

_"Hungry..." _the Screamer muttered, trudging along the street. His long and pointed teeth glistened with saliva at the thought of an immune's intestines. A sound to the right made him turn, but it was only a common rummaging through a dumpster. For what, he didn't know; unlike 'specials', the common beasts did not need to eat. Then he raised an eyebrow; the Common had pulled a paddleball from the dumpster.

_"...that rotten common last week must've affected my brain."_ Bevis decided. He continued walking as his lesser brother began to experiment with the immune toy. A few blocks further, and he discovered a red door. This door was iron, so all hope of breaking it down was lost, but upon glancing in through the bars, he saw four immunes. They sat around a tiny fire, each with a can in their hands. Two men and two women, one of them...old.

"Goddammit, I'm tired of eating beans!" came the muscular man, crushing the empty can in his fist. The younger of the women snorted. "Then perhaps you'd like to get some bread from the supermarket, Charlie." she answered. Charlie 'hmph'ed and looked away. The old woman had finished her can and held her palms together, her head bowed. It also seemed as if she was muttering something. Bevis strained his ears.

"...and to the Lord I give my thanks. May we live another night." she whispered. _"The Lord? Some kind of immune king?"_ the Screamer wondered. Suddenly, the other man looked up and saw Bevis. "Screamer! Shoot it!" he cried, standing and grabbing his rifle. Bevis backed up as the man threw the door open, raising his gun. "So long!" he spat, his voice heavy with some kind of accent.

"Tyson, get back inside!" cried the younger woman. At the sight of the gun, Bevis screamed as loud as he could. An instant later, he was answered by a roaring bellow which came from hundreds of commons. The man's aim switched from Bevis to the end of the street, and the Screamer, unwilling to let another victim get away, drew his head back, then lashed forward and sunk his teeth into Tyson's hand. The immune hollered and dropped his gun, balling his free hand into a fist. The impact of the survivor's knuckles onto his eye jarred Bevis, but he retained his grip. The horde was almost upon them.

Then Charlie burst from the door, slamming his shoulder into Bevis and knocking the Screamer back."DAMN!" Tyson roared, clutching his arm. When Bevis' teeth had been forcibly removed from the immune's arm, his skin had been sliced to ribbons. Before Charlie could aim at Bevis with his pistol, a common leaped at him and tackled him to the floor. In an instant the women appeared from within the room; the old one held a knife (a foolish weapon choice) and the younger one had an axe.

As Bevis' lesser brothers and sisters crowded the four immunes, Bevis scrambled back as best he could with no arms. His long hair kept falling into his eyes, which was a real bother, and he finally got to his feet. By then, the elder of the group had cut off a common's head and impaled another through the stomach. Blood and instestines fell from the body. The axe-wielding girl was chopping up infected like she was born to do so.

Charlie had fallen behind, using his pistol to shoot commons which his comrades missed. "Back in the safe room!" commanded the girl. "We have to ride it out, Annabeth!" "Bullshit!" she screamed. Shoving Charlie back into the room, she reached for the elder. "I can do it myself, thank you." the woman told Annabeth, backing away. "Tyson, come on!" the girl cried. Tyson turned to look at her, then was jumped by seven commons at once. He screamed once, then fell silent. Bevis started beating away his brethren with his head, but by the time the horde had abated, nothing was left of Tyson but half a stomach. The Screamer sighed. _"So hungry."_

-WITCH CHRONICLE 1 (Katrina)-

A contented sigh escaped Katrina's lips as she leaned back, gingerly patting her stomach. Across her, James smiled and sat on his heels. _"Was he hard to get, James?"_ asked the Sobber, referring to the immune. James shook his head. _"Practically ran at me. Pathetic if I say so myself."_ replied the Hunter. _"Single pounce, a couple strikes to the head, and he was out like a light."_ _"What's the hardest person you've gone after?" _inquired Katrina. James frowned, fell silent for a moment, then shrugged. _"I suppose it'd have to be that portly black."_ was his reply. The Witch blinked. _"Coach, I think he was called."_

_"Oh, okay." _Katrina replied. _"Did you get him?" "Nope, he's the one I never caught. He may be fat, but he's strong and quick."_ sighed the Hunter. _"Felix or Bryce have probably finished him off by now." "Felix and Bryce?" "Yeah, they're Hunter legends. Felix took on five survivors by himself and killed every one of them without so much as a scar. Bryce actually leaped on a Tank and directed it towards a car, which the behemoth then threw at someone."_

Katrina was silent for a moment. Then she stood, readjusting her faded panties carefully, and walked over to James. The Hunter looked at her curiously. Then she smiled and ran to the stairs. James, knowing this game well, laughed and followed her. _"You can't get me, James!" _she cried cheerfully, racing between rows of boxes and miscellaneous objects. She heard the Hunter grunt as he propelled himself onto a mountain of boxes, then he dropped right behind her with a chuckle. _"Not fair!" _the Witch declared. _"No pouncing!"_

James shook his head with a smile, then gestured to the end of the row. His sign for a ten-second head start. The Sobber took off again, dashing between boxes and hiding in little spaces before turning to a new spot. After five minutes, she noticed that James wasn't chasing her anymore. The Witch slowed her pace to a jog, then a walk, then she stopped. Looking around at the empty warehouse, tears welled in her eyes. Her fear of the dark evaporated when she became infected, but she'd always known where James was. A feeling of loneliness built up inside the young Sobber's being. She slumped to the ground and began to cry.

Scattered thoughts came to her mind, such as 'did James leave me?' and "I need a hug'. Footsteps. Katrina looked up, a smile starting to form. James had come back, she just knew it! _"James-!" _she cried.

A man she'd never seen was standing before her, his rifle aimed between her eyes. "A little Witch, hmm?" he chuckled. Katrina blinked, then started to cry again. It wasn't James. He'd gone and she was going to die. "Hey Leroy, what'd you find?" came a voice. "Just a Witch. But she's tiny, come and see!" he replied. A young boy came into view, a pistol in his hand. He laughed at the sight of Katrina. "Put it out of its misery, Leroy." he chuckled.

"Alright." was the reply. Katrina closed her eyes, waiting for the pain.

"HOLY HELL-!" bellowed Leroy, then a grunt and an impact on the concrete floor. Katrina cracked an eye open to see James on top of Leroy, using his claws to shred the immune's face. "No, Leroy!" hollered the other boy, firing a shot. James' shoulder was thrown back and he ceased his assault. Leroy punched him in the face, causing the Hunter to roll off of him, and the survivor snatched his gun. _"James..."_ the Sobber whispered. Then her eyes turned red. With a scream she launched herself at Leroy and the other boy. Everything became a blur. Then sweet silence, broken only by the sound of her breathing. Katrina dashed to James' body, getting on her knees and resting a hand on his chest.

_"James, wake up!"_ the Sobber pleaded, lowering her ear to his mouth. A tiny breath, small, but there. Katrina's eyes filled with tears of joy as she lay across James' sprawled form. _"Don't go yet, James." _she whispered.

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**I had an idea. Surely, infected can't only eat survivors, or they'd starve. So I tossed that idea. Now immune are considered delicacies, but commons and dead specials are also acceptable meals.**

**By the way, who's your favorite special infected so far?**


	4. Left For Dead

**I own nothing but the new special infected and the occasional custom immune.**

**By the way, the chronicles take place in a cluster of cities, about three of them. It's not important which city a chronicle takes place in, but it will be later.**

**CUSTOM INFECTED:**

**Haunter - The succubus of the infected world, it goes crazy at the drop of a hat. Or, in this case, a drop of blood.**

**Bouncer - An infected with child-sized fists, its massive strength is equal to that of a Charger.**

**Lasher - A 'Smoker-wannabe', no arms, no warts, but a long tongue which is used like a whip.**

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-SMOKER CHRONICLE 3 (Matthew)-

_"Fuck!"_ the Smoker coughed, ducking another swing from the Bouncer which shook the wall behind him. He scrambled for the fire escape, then felt the Bouncer grab his leg and heave him back. _"Don't touch the girl!"_ Matthew wheezed, kicking the other Infected in the chest with almost no effect. _"This was a perfect chance to get an immune's meat, and you ruined it!"_ the Bouncer roared in reply, lifting Matthew by the leg before slamming him into the pavement, dazing him.

Gunfire ripped across the alleyway, and the Bouncer roared in pain before releasing the Smoker. He raced for the fire escape and leaped onto the trash can, hauling himself up as the Bouncer retreated further down the alley. "It's a person!" Lilac said, pointing down the alley. Matthew turned to see a young man, barely in his twenties, with a jacket tied around his waist and a ballcap on his head. "Yeah! Good-bye!" he whooped, continuing to fire his shotgun as he advanced. Matthew scooped Lilac up and dove through an open window into the building.

Inside, a common wailed and raced at Lilac. _"Back off!"_ Matthew coughed, striking the Infected across the face and causing it to hit the wall. Lilac made a whimpering sound as blood splattered over her clothes, and Matthew spent the next few minutes making sure she wouldn't start crying. _"Shhhh. Have some meat."_ the Smoker said softly, wrenching a chunk of the common's flesh off and offering it to Lilac. She began sobbing, and Matthew swore. _"What the fuck do Immunes eat?" _he hissed. Outside the gunfire had ceased, and Matthew could hear the Immune boasting his success.

As the room gradually filled with smoke, originating from Matthew's horribly damaged lungs, Lilac began to cough. "Cough, I don't like it in here!" she whined. The Smoker swore again, picked her up and opened the door into the hallway. Immediately, he heard muttering and the sound of a cane striking the carpet. _"Shit."_ he said under his breath, running to the open door across the hall and looking around the empty room beyond. He put Lilac in the back of the room and put a finger to his bulbous lips, instructing her to be quiet. She hiccuped and nodded, and he darted out of the room just as the infected he'd been dreading rounded the corner.

A Grandpa. The most irritating infected (at least to other infected), and also the one with the biggest appetite for Immunes. The old man had no eyes, a trait shared by all Grandpas, but was able to see with his cane somehow. _"Is that a Smoker I hear?" _the Grandpa rasped. _"Yes, Father."_ Matthew replied respectfully. It always struck him odd how they had to address Grandpas as 'Father' when no real blood relation existed. During his musings, the Grandpa struck him over the head with his cane.

_"Stand up straight, you dirty hooligan!" _the Grandpa commanded. Matthew sighed but did so. _"Father, I saw an immune out in the street, perhaps you-?" "Why bother? They're too fast for me, drawing their exploding sticks at the first sign of trouble."_ the elder Infected grunted, waving a hand dismissivley. The Smoker prayed that his toxic Smoke would block the Grandpa's sense of smell from detecting Lilac.

"Cough, why do I have to be quiet?" a little girl's voice called from down the hall. Matthew facepalmed as the Grandpa inhaled sharply. _"A premature immune!"_ he cried, straightening his back. Matthew moved protectively in front of Lilac as the Grandpa licked his bloody teeth. He sprinted down the hall at Lilac, but Matthew grabbed him by the arm and swung him into a wall. Lilac screamed and ran down a hall to the left. "_Lilac, wait!"_ the Smoker shouted. The Grandpa struck him over the head with his cane and darted after the girl. _"Damn it all!"_ Matthew shouted, closely following the nimble elder.

-HAUNTER CHRONICLE 1 (Juniper)-

_"...the hell did you see that Smoker again?" _Antonio said irritably, his patience wearing thin as Juniper took her time looking around. _"He was on a fire escape, and there was a dead Boomer, and the scent of survivors was unbelievable!" _Juniper replied, taking another whiff. The Hunter scratched the back of his neck, wincing as his claws sank through the soft fabric of his hoodie, and sighed. _"Juniper, why does this Smoker-" "There he is!"_ the Haunter cried, pointing to a fire escape where a Smoker lay, unconscious.

"_Well I'll be damned. Shot in the chest, tongue severed, and still alive."_ Antonio snickered, pouncing up to the body. He lifted the Smoker and threw him over his shoulder before vaulting over the rail of the fire escape, back down to Juniper. "_Isn't this that Julio guy, the one who's always terrorizing Hunters?"_ the Hunter asked, wiping his hands on his jacket. "_Yeah, but he's pretty experienced. We could use him." _Juniper replied, biting her lip at the sight of blood on Julio's shirt. _"He's lucky that's Lasher blood. Blech."_

With a jolt, Julio sat up, slapping a hand over his mouth. "_OW! FUCKING FATASSED BUG-EYED STIFF-LEGGED HORSE-FACED-" "We get the point, it was a very unattractive Survivor." _Juniper chortled. Julio glanced around at them, then got on his knees. Antonio extended a hand, which he slapped away before shakily standing. _"Four immune, all in front of me! I can't believe I got shot!" _the Smoker coughed. "_It'll take days for my tongue to grow back!"_

_"And until then, you can help us track the Survivors."_ Juniper smiled. Antonio put his hands in his pockets. _"Why does he have to come along? This isn't charity and I sure as hell am not a babysitter."_ the Hunter asked. The Haunter turned to him. _"Antonio, four immunes means a hell of a meal. Even if you have to work with a Smoker, it's fine!" "It isn't fine! This particular Smoker was responsible for the deaths of two Hunters and a Charger in the big battle of Longman Tower!"_

_"Afraid I'm going to leave you for dead if-when-you slip up?" _Julio sneered, then exploded into a mad coughing fit. Antonio ground his teeth, ignoring the three cuts he got from the action. _"If that happens, you are the one who will be left for dead." "Well, I see that this relationship is off to a good start." _Juniper sighed, slapping them both on the back of the head. "_OW!" "Fucking succubus-!"_

_"Look, I can see that you two don't like each other. But if we work together, we can get a helluva lot more immunes than seperately." _the Haunter patiently explained. A gunshot rang into the night, followed by distant shouting. Juniper smiled. "_Let's go get dinner, boys."_

Julio and Antonio looked at each other, then Antonio reluctantly put a hand out. _"Truce."_ the Hunter spat. Julio grunted and gripped his hand tightly. _"Until I get revenge on that immune." _he replied. Juniper started drifting towards the sound of fighting, making no sound like all Haunters. Antonio crouched before springing up onto a rooftop; Julio coughed several times before following Juniper, slashing at a common who was sprinting in the direction of the gunfire.

Moments later, Juniper arrived at the scene of the battle. Three of them, all men, all carrying the same double-barreled weapon. At the sight of her they aimed and fired, despite being swarmed by Commons. The shells sank into her skin and she grunted, but continued walking. Haunters could take a lot of punishment. To the right she could see Antonio crouched behind a dumpster, and to the left she saw Julio enter the crowd of Commons, crouching so as not to stand out.

_"Boys, please don't fight over me."_ she whispered, extending her arms to the men who were once again focused on the Commons. "Stay clean, she won't attack if we're not bleeding!" one of them cried, his voice crisp with a hint of a British accent. Antonio growled softly and crawled forward. This was going to be a good day, she could feel it.

-HUNTER CHRONICLE 3 (James)-

_"Son of a bitch..." _the Hunter coughed as he returned to consciousness. He could feel a dull pain in his shoulder, as well as an ache in his nose. _"Fucking immunes."_ James muttered, slowly sitting up. It was not three seconds after he'd done so that he realized Katrina was lying across his lap, face-up and fast asleep. He smiled, wiping blood off her cheek before gently lifting her and placing her aside. He spotted the corpses of the two Immune only a few meters away, seized them and proceeded to drag them to the stairwell. After a few minutes of struggling, he'd gotten both bodies up the stairs and onto the catwalk.

He'd just placed them in his room when he heard Katrina start to cry, and he raced down the stairs to her. The Sobber looked up, saw him, and burst into tears before running and throwing her arms around him. _"Jaaaaaaames!"_ she wailed, staggering him as tears flowed down her cheeks. The Hunter rubbed her back. _"I t-thought you were d-dead!"_ Katrina stuttered, hiccuping as James hooked his arm under her legs and lifted her up. _"Katrina, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." _the Infected assured her, carrying her to the stairs before sitting and setting her next to him.

_"But t-they were shouting and laughing at me, and they were gonna KILL me, and you w-weren't t-there!"_ Katrina cried. _"There was another immune down the hall, he was the first one I saw so I took him out." _the Hunter replied, putting his arms around her. _"Why do immunes hate us so much?" _was the next thing out of the young Witch's mouth. _"Probably because we look like the undead."_ James snickered. _"From what I've seen, humans don't really like it when you rip open their esophagus and chew on their jugular vein."_

The Witch hiccuped again and buried her face in the Hunter's jacket. It was several minutes before James could convince her to let go. "_Katrina, I'm not going to die and neither are you."_ the Infected said soothingly, standing. _"However, that racket probably got some Commons curious. We're gonna have to fight for our food soon-"_

_"Food?" _came a voice like death itself. James' face paled. _"Katrina, go upstairs._" he growled. The Witch gulped before obeying, and another Special came into view. A Redevil, the most dangerous Infected to exist. They had hoodies like Hunters, but a massive left arm that was as strong as a Charger. And they were as quick as a startled Witch. James had once seen a Redevil dismember a Tank, and he'd never seen one killed.

_"If you have food, perhaps I could partake in the meal."_ the Redevil said softly, stepping forward. James bared his fangs and stepped back. _"Stay away! They're ours!" _he growled. The other Special laughed, flexing his arm. _"No Hunter can stand up to me."_ he replied, strolling forward. James screamed and leaped at the Redevil, who rammed his fist into the Hunter's stomach. He coughed up blood, stars dancing across his eyes as he fell to the floor. A kick to the side sent him flying across the room, smashing into a shelf of crates and causing them to fall on him.

_"I thought I heard a Witch. Are you protecting her?"_ the Redevil asked, beginning to climb the steps. _"Don't fucking touch her!" _James coughed, on all fours as he coughed up more blood. The other Special laughed and strode down the catwalk, kicking open a door and entering. James heard Katrina start screaming, and the Redevil backed into the rail. _"Ah, we've got a feisty one."_ he said, but considerably less confident than before. James steeled himself, then leaped at the Redevil and landed on his back, biting into his neck.

_"AH FUCK!" _the Infected roared, grabbing James by the hoodie and throwing him over his head. James collided with Katrina, who was in a frenzy, and they tumbled to the floor. The Hunter was dimly aware of the Redevil lifting his arm, and he ground his teeth before putting his arms around Katrina-who struggled to break free-and rolling out of the way. The other Infected's blow punched clean through the catwalk.

_"Get over here, you coward!"_ he roared at James, lifting his arm again. James rolled into a crouch and pounced again, catching the Redevil in the chest and causing them both to fall through the hole in the catwalk. As they plummeted, James struggled to keep the other Special's arm restrained. They hit the concrete floor and James dug his teeth into the Redevil's neck, ripping through his jugular vein. The struggling ceased as Infected blood seeped onto the floor.

Dimly, he was aware of Katrina barreling down the stairs. He turned and grabbed her by the wrists, grimacing as she screamed in his face. _"Shhhh, it's fine." _James said quietly. _"I'm here."

* * *

_

**I planned on this being longer, but I got a Mac and the original file had to be copied. First I had to find it, then all the new features the Mac had kept me busy.**


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